Late Tulane Touchdown Edges Southern Miss in Battle for the Bell
TULANE, La. — Tulane University edged Southern Miss 24-21 Saturday night at Yulman Stadium, thanks to a late touchdown run by Maurice Turner. The Green Wave retained the Battle for the Bell trophy with the victory.
Southern Miss quarterback Landry Lyddy threw for three touchdowns and led the Golden Eagles to a fourth-quarter lead. Despite amassing 401 total yards and taking a 21-14 advantage early in the third quarter, the Eagles couldn’t hold off Tulane’s rally.
Lyddy completed 18 of 29 passes for 243 yards, connecting twice with wide receiver Mario Sanders and once with Davis Dalton. Sanders caught four passes for 69 yards and two touchdowns, while Dalton added three receptions for 75 yards and a score.
The Golden Eagles responded to an early 7-0 deficit with a 32-yard touchdown pass from Lyddy to Dalton. Tulane answered with a 43-yard touchdown run, but Southern Miss responded with a 75-yard drive, culminating in a 14-yard touchdown pass to Sanders before halftime, tying the game at 14.
In the third quarter, Lyddy found Sanders again, this time for a 22-yard touchdown, giving Southern Miss a 21-14 lead. The Eagles’ defense, led by Michael Robinson III’s 10 tackles and Jameer Lewis’s 1.5 sacks, kept Tulane in check for much of the second half.
Tulane trimmed the deficit early in the fourth quarter with a field goal, but Southern Miss missed two scoring opportunities, a 44-yard field goal that sailed wide and a 21-yard attempt that was blocked with 1:45 remaining.
With just over five minutes left, Turner broke free for a 74-yard touchdown run, putting Tulane ahead 24-21. Southern Miss advanced to the Tulane 3-yard line on a final drive, but a blocked field goal ended their hopes.
Despite the loss, Southern Miss showed offensive promise, with Steven Robinson rushing for 73 yards and Jamarice Wilder adding 60 yards on the ground. The Golden Eagles’ defense forced an interception and recorded three sacks, but Turner finished with 200 rushing yards and two touchdowns for Tulane.
Southern Miss (1-3) will now prepare for Sun Belt Conference play, traveling to Troy for a 7 p.m. game on Tuesday, Oct. 6, according to school officials.
Source: Original Article
